How To Make Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Cubes

I definitely enjoyed trying this! How neat! I must say that this is one of my How-To favorites. Why? Well, this one comes in really handy for me. We don’t use the dishwasher to wash dishes that often. I, or the kids, normally do them by hand. So, I don’t usually buy a lot of dishwasher detergent. (That’s an item that is quite expensive.) We have tons of dishwashing liquid for handwashing. (I stockpile this when there is a major sale, along with using a coupon.) However, since we use our dishwasher for holding the dishes to dry, I have to run it at least once a week to clean it, plus run a load of dirty dishes while I’m at it.

So, I came across ways (most of them the same with a few minor differences) to make the dishwasher detergent and was definitely intrigued with making it into cubes. Looks like it would store better in this form. The websites that I saw made them into regular ice cube sizes. The ingredients are simple enough. You should have most of this in your home, with the exception of Borax. Most recipes seem to have added lemon essential oil. I just used unsweetened lemonade packets because I had that on hand at home. Love that smell!

Ingredients

2 cups of Borax (purchased at Walmart for $3.13)

2 cups of Baking Soda (or Washing Soap)

2 packets of unsweetened lemonade (or Essential Oils)

1/2 cup of Kosher Salt

1/2 cup of vinegar

ice cube trays (I used mask shaped trays from Everything’s A Dollar $1 each and regular trays that I already had at home.)

wax paper (optional)

Directions:

Pour Borax into a mixing bowl.

Add in the baking soda or washing soda.

Pour the kosher salt into the bowl with other ingredients.

I used 2 packets of the lemonade. I wanted a really lemony scent! (You may use essential oil if you would like.)

Stir to blend the ingredients.

This is the fun part! Pour the vinegar into the bowl. The vinegar will cause bubbling to began. (We have done so many experiments with vinegar for homeschool that I thought I was teaching another lesson.)

Your mixture should look somewhat like this. It should still be a little moist so that you will be able to press it down and mold it into the ice cube trays.

I used regular trays and the mask-shape trays. I couldn’t just stick with the simple/regular trays. You need to pack them really tight so that it binds better when it hardens. Notice how I began packing it down in the blue tray. How many trays you use will definitely depend on how hard you pack them down. Of course, my mask trays are smaller in depth, so I used a total of 2 regular trays and 3 mask trays.

Now, you’re suppose to set them in a sun-filled area (probably inside of your house) and let them harden for about 24 hours. Personally, after making this, I think that it takes a couple of days to really harden to a good solid feel. Of course, you should definitely remember to pack them down really tight. Since, it was almost 85 degrees yesterday, (Did I mention that I’m a winter girl?) I set mines on the steps until the sun went down and then brought them inside. The following morning, I set them back outside again. I’m sure these will continue to harden as time passes.

After they have hardened, remove from the trays. After emptying a couple of trays, I found that if I put wax paper around them while emptying, the cubes came out better. It was for more of a precaution, than a necessity. The regular ice tray cubes are actually too big for my dishwasher. Of course, you could always fill the tray half-way and pack it down to make smaller tablets for the dishwasher. Too late for me though. I filled mines to the top. The mask shape cubes are the perfect size for me.

These are some close-ups of the mask-shape cubes. So cute!

So, how did it work in the dishwasher? The first shot is a picture of my glass using a n0-name brand of dishwasher liquid that I had at home. The second shot is a picture after using the homemade cubes. That is not bad at all! Second picture of the glass looks great! Now, I must say also that I used vinegar in the Jet Dry rinse container when I used the homemade cube. I’ve never used vinegar in my rinse container. My mother told me to use vinegar a long time ago, but I never did. However, when trying the homemade cubes, I decided to and there is definitely a difference. These will definitely not go to waste. (I only used 1 cube in the dishwasher.)

There was something that I always wanted to know. Do you use your dishwasher on a regular basis? But, most importantly, do you use your dishwasher to hold the handwashed dishes until they dry? I don’t know many people that actually towel-dry their dishes. We did when we were growing up, but definitely not now. Oh, I guess I wanted to know if you spend a lot on your dishwasher detergent and if this is something that you may try?

I’ll have to post as time goes by whether or not I am still as happy about using the homemade tablets in a later post. Hope you try it! Really, would you want to miss the action where the vinegar causes the fizz…..

Update: If you find that yours do not cooperate now or does not work after a time period or leaves a film on your dishes, you may have to do a trial and error test and swap out some things until you get it to work exactly as you want it. (Lemi Shine is also a suggestion for stopping a film that may occur and has worked great for some people. I am going to play around with adding this in a new batch that I am making. Another great suggestion was to sneak a few drops of dishwashing liquid soap into the center of the dishwasher detergent mixture inside of the cubes and close up before setting out to dry. How cool! ) There are options listed in the ingredients that you can pick and choose from until you come up with the exact ingredients that work for you. I am still testing mines…..

1/4 cup Lemi Shine (If you notice that after making your batch that a film starts to get on your dishes after a short time, try adding this to the next batch that you make. You may want to adjust your dry ingredients if you try adding this.)

While you’re here, feel free to scroll through the comments. Some of the visitors had wonderful suggestions. I love my readers!

I will be updating next month on how happy I am with the use of these homemade dishwasher detergent cube…..

Other suggestions for solving film that might occur: One reader suggesting swapping out the Borax after she developed a film over her glasses and that solved her film problem.

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Comments

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Great recipe. I have never used a vinegar in my homemade detergent. I am going to try it next time. In my opinion the most important ingredient is baking soda. Baking soda is almost magical. Thank you for sharing your post. Best regards!

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If the dishwasher tabs ends up being too big to put in that compartment in the dishwasher do you think I can just place it in the bottom of the dishwasher? Its too hard to break up to stick in the compartment….Suggestions?

Hi Becky! You can try putting them in the bottom of the dishwasher. Hopefully, the heat of the dishwasher will dissolve it. I’ve never tried it before, but definitely give it a try. Let me know how it turns out. I like to update my post whenever someone solves a problem and it could prove helpful for others…

Thanks Sharon for the great tips. Love your blog. I’m getting ready to make the the tabs as soon as i finish typing. I’m recently on disability and REALLY NEED to make my $’s stretch. I was at Walmart getting the ingredients and ran into several women doing the same thing. The ingredients you listed plus a few more items like bar Zote laundry detergent for well, laundry detergent.They were old pros at it and gave both high marks. So for around $10 I’ll have dish tabs(not sure how many yet) and laundry detergent(will last almost a year). But that still beats THE DOLLAR STORE! Well off to DIYing I will go! Oh and to do the laundry and dishes.

You’re welcome Jamie! I enjoy making homemade items because they’re fun to do and they save me money. Hope you enjoy the dishwasher detergent cubes. Let me know how they turn out for you. Now, I’m off to figuring out what my next DIY will be…..

Hi Sharon
The tabs worked great. I am starting to get a film on my glasses tho. Any suggestions? I also put them in the the microwave for 10 sec. after 24 hrs dry time because it did help keep them from crumbling, like someone else commented.
Thanks Jamie

Hi Jamie. Sorry to hear of the film. The only solution would be to substitute out something next time you make it. One of the readers said her problem was using the Borax and that she made the next batch without it. She substituted that with baking soda. I’m assuming she used baking soda and washing soda instead. Perhaps, you can try that way the next time. Hoping it comes out right…

I just made mine but I used vinegar I had sitting with clementine rinds(for a better scent), table salt I had on hand, and basil oil. Smells great! I just can’t wait to see how they work. Oh, I use my dishwasher if I haven’t washed dishes all day but when I do wash all day I use the dishwasher as a drying rack also.

Hi Sharon i want make dishwasher soap and sold in market.. i want making a small businees in my home ,,,,you can help me this matter so please tell me the complete method making of soap and tell me the ingredients which use in all this proceder and how much quantity in this ingredients i use?i am very thank full to u for helping this matter.

I just tried this out and found a little trick. The cubes didn’t seem to be very durable, and most crumbled when I tried to remove from the trays, so on the last few trays, I put them into the microwave for about 35-40 seconds (basically, until I heard them start to sizzle). When I pulled them out, there were tiny bubbles coming from the edges of a few of the cubes where they met the trays. I let them cool for about 10 minutes and they are about 10 times stronger. It seems as though the cooking process has solidified them and kind of melted the ingredients together. Just a tip.

Hi Jon! Thanks for the tip! I love when people find ways to improve this. One of my readers actually put his in the oven after removing from trays to harden them more. Will definitely keep this one in mind the next time I make a batch. Thanks for stopping by and of course, thanks for the tip….

Hello. Love you site/blog. Have a question about the recipe for these Dishwasher Detergent Cubes….you list Baking Soda OR Washing Soda. Which is it? These two are NOT the same. I use Washing Soda only in the simple/quick Laundrey Detergent recipe; I use both Baking Soda and Washing Soda in a much more complicated recipe for Laundry Detergent. They serve different purposes so I must ask which one you actually used? Thanks,

I can’t wait to try these. I do at least one dishwasher load a day sometimes two. This would be a great money saver because tabs are $$$$$. Thanks for sharing the recipe.Katy recently posted…How To Preserve the Life of Your Fruit

Sharon,
First I want to say that I love that you place some importance on your kids getting their hands dirty and helping around the house. I’m only 25 but even in my childhood it seemed like so many kids had absolutely ZERO responsibility placed on them and it hurt them in the long run. Seems like that has only gotten worse (generally speaking) since then. My first ‘job’, in addition to the daily/weekly chores, was at 9 years old picking rocks out of a 5 acre field (in the middle of an Alabama summer) so the farm equipment wouldn’t get damaged planting winter wheat in the fall. I learned to drive a stick-shift truck at 9 y.0., saved up a decent bit of money for that age, got a hideous farmer’s tan, and learned the value of education as well as pride in hard work. For what my parents paid me to do the job they could just as easily have hired someone to come in and do it with specialized equipment in 2-3 days. My mom also found the phrase, “That’s 100 rocks!” quite an effective disciplinary method as well. Initially it went back and forth with – “BUT MOM THAT’S NOT FAIR!” – “That’s another 100! Do you really want to keep playing this game? Because I promise you, I’m going to win.” I was so mad at her at the time but looking back now, that summer and the subsequent lessons in hard work learned on the farm were some of the best ‘gifts’ my parents ever gave me. Keep up the good work and know that your kids will appreciate it in the long run, knowing their better off for all your tough love.
Sorry if too much of a tangent, I did actually have a question about the tabs.
Just made a batch of the tablets, using lemi-shine as my grocery did not have citric acid and the lemi-shine (on sale) was cheaper than lemonade mix. Did you find that the mixture began hardening a little too quickly in the mixing bowl before you could portion it all out? I ended up having to about another 2/3 of a cup 1:1 vinegar/water as I went. Do you think this will cause any problems.
I also had an improvement suggestion. I decided to put 3/4 of the scoop of detergent in the ice cube tray, punch a 1/2″ deep hole with my finger, pour in 3 drops of dish soap, and then close it up with the rest of the scoop. After they got hard enough to take out the trays, I put them on parchment paper and baked them in the oven at 175deg for 2 hrs. They’re hard as a rock and hopefully I won’t have to worry about remembering the soap every time now. First batch cleaned the dishes like a charm. Thanks and keep the good ideas coming!

Thanks Matthew for this wonderful reply! I do believe that all children should have some type of chores that they perform on a regular basis. It just makes the world a better place and them. I didn’t have a problem with the mixture hardening too quickly. Also, I did not put lemi-shine in my first batch, as I am still working on using it up. Not quite sure on the hardening problem. I love the improvement suggestion! I will make a note to try that also. It sounds wonderful! That might definitely solve the film problem that might arise. Let me know if you notice any film on glasses later. Love the oven idea also! You sound like a regular do-it-yourself, for sure. Thanks for trying out this. Please stop and visit often.

So happy to have found your blog. I use my dishwasher daily and hand wash items that require it. I haven’t had any problems with my homemade tabs. I still keep some store bought on hand, though. At first, I rotated store bought to homemade, but now I’m just using homemade. So far, so good. I am wondering if too much vinegar will cause rusting on parts of dishwasher? I’ve heard to be careful about clothes washers and vinegar causing rust. As it is, I’m not using any rinse agents, and my dishes look great without any pre rinsing. Just curious.

Hi Akilah. Thanks for visiting. I use vinegar and haven’t noticed any rust. My mother also use it too. I don’t use the dishwasher on a daily basis…wouldn’t want those girls of mines not to have a chore such as a dishwashing. I will keep a lookout in the future for that problem.

Wonderful blog Miss Sharon!
This is really a cute and great idea. I run my dishwasher at least once a day (more in the summer months when all the kids are home). I have been using a homemade dishwasher detergent for some time but have had to try different “recipes”. I found that the Borax, which I also use for laundry and cleaning, was the culprit of my film and residue issues. After replacing that with baking soda…. SUCCESS!

Thanks Nikki! I will definitely make note of the Borax causing some issues. It is always trial and error when making homemade products. I love creating and making homemade stuff. You must definitely try this as a cube. So much easier to use and so adorable…

I make my own dishwasher tablets too but i dont use the lemonade kool-aid instead i use about 1/8 cup of lemon juice and 1/8 of a cup of the Great Value brand of the dishwasher rinse aid to 1 cup of borax 1 cup of washing soda not baking soda and 1/4 cup of epsom salt. Works extremely well in my dishwasher and others that I have made these for or gave them my recipe.

Ronda, you might want to reconsider putting that much dish soap in your recipe for washing dishes in the dishwasher. Dish soap isn’t generally used in dishwasher because it ruins the rubber seal around the door. And that gasket is a bear to get & replace.

Instead of Lemi Shine just get your hands on some citric acid as thats the main ingredient in Lemi Shine. There is some already in the Kool Aid packets already but the pure stuff works soo much better. You can find it in the canning section of your store or any place that sells beer making supplies.

Thanks Jeanne! I love when people offer great tips or substitutes to use. I’m sure I will be in the canning section soon since I planted a garden this year and will definitely need to can some things. Will be on the lookout for it.

I think the reason for the lemon essential oil is to cut all of the grime and stuff off of your dishes and it is also anti bacterial! i make my own soap (bars and gel), shower gel, lotion and the list goes on. i have used vinegar for years for a rinse in the washing machine and also when washing dishes by hand or dishwasher. Now days most people shower but i am still one that likes the good hot baths! Here is an idea for those of you that still take baths. if you have honey on hand, squirt some of it into your hot water, add some powdered milk, and sea salt, that is the best thing and your skin will be so soft! you can also use this recipe that you have given to make bath bombs with but instead of using vinegar, spritz some witch hazel or water and pack it tight and you can fragrance them with whatever you like. or use an essential oil that is good for the skin!

Hi Rhonda! I am definitely one of those people that take showers. However, I like the little recipe for taking baths. The only thing that I don’t have right now is the powdered milk, however, Aldi’s sells it and I shop there often. Might have to try it, especially, since I have started running longer distances. I might need something to soak in and pamper my skin. Thanks for the tips.

I have a Bosch dishwasher and it requires Finish tablets. When I tried going to cheap powder, had all sorts of issues, mainly with the filter gumming up and so on. Found cheap tablets at Dollar General, so far so good. Will try the homemade. I was using vinegar for the rinse cup, but haven’t since the huge mess project, as I call it. Fortunately, Bosch units all come apart inside–online videos show every part of the cleaning process so I got to know my dishwasher very intimately. If your dishwasher(we use ours a LOT) is leaving dirt, scum on glasses, etc., check the filter as well and clean it out. If your sprayer arms come off, clean those with a toothpick and rinse out. For those that don’t use the dishwasher often, be aware that they were meant to be used–those seals will dry out and fail, then you will have more important issues than soap.

Thanks for the advice rmshea. I will be sure to check the filters and clean those, as we don’t use ours too often. I use vinegar often to keep the dishwasher clean. We don’t use our dishwasher often because I like to keep my girls on their toes when it comes to chores. However, they definitely enjoy those days when I tell then they can use the dishwasher instead of washing them by hand.

Stopping by from Growing Up Madison and you just save us quite a bit of money. This is something we’re definitely going to use. We use our dishwasher on an almost daily basis because they’re too lazy to wash dishes by hand, so we’re constantly buying dishwasher detergent. This is going to be my weekend project! 🙂Madison recently posted…Terrible-Riffic Thursday: ER Visit and Bowling

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Thank you so much for the mention. Actually Homemade dishwasher detergent may seem like a lot of trouble but, in fact, it’s ridiculously easy! While the original investment may be somewhat more than a small box of detergent might cost, over time this could ultimately save the average consumer money and valuable resources.
Regardssuvo recently posted…Homemade Dishwasher Detergent – Around the Web

I never noticed the spots on my cups until after I read this post. Your blog tips are really helpful. I look forward to following you are checking back over time to see if you still like your detergent.
Blessings Always, Diane RoarkDiane Roark recently posted…Chick-fil-A Leadercast Prize Pack Giveaway

Thanks a ton for these very detailed instructions with pictures! Great stuff. I personally haven’t tried making the cubes yet, but certainly want to for the convenience of storage. I’ve included a link to this post over on my site.Matthew Allen recently posted…Homemade Dishwasher Detergent – Around the Web

Everytime I have made my own dishwasher soap my dishes, within a week, come up grimmy, there is a terrible film all over my dishes. You can feel it and see it. My dishwasher is old and I do use vinager. What can I do to make mine work? Regular dishwasher soap with vinager works fine, no film, what makes the difference?

Did you add the same thing that I added? Was it grimy looking when you first used it? I am still testing mines as I do not use my dishwasher often. If you are using the same thing, perhaps you can swap out the baking soda for washing soap or swap out the kool-aid for an essential oil. Sometimes, it is a test and trial when it comes to DIY products. Let me know. Thanks for the response.

The recipe is pretty much the same except for the kosher salt. I have used vinager for a long time in a small dish on the top rack, works great as a rinse agent. I was thinking about adding oxyclean and reducing the amount of Borax to see if that works. I have to mention I have read other blogs and posted the same thing and you are the first to make suggestions. Thank you. I want to keep trying becuase I want to save money. Thanks for the help I will keep trying.

I also wanted to mention that some people added an ingredient called Lemi Shine to their mixture which worked for them. Also, like I mentioned try switching out the baking soda for washing soda. Hope this helps….

You mention Lemi-Shine several times and i am familiar with it. There is also a Lemi-Shine Rinse agent. I use both in my new dishwasher. We have “hard” water in our city and my dishwasher was developing a horrible white,chalky substance.The dishes & glasses were never clean. The repairman came,told me about Lemi-Shine. Saved me $$ on repairs! Add the Lemi-Shine powder to your dishwashing tablet. It works!

I don’t hand wash my dishes unless I can avoid filling the sink. Do you know average kitchen sink has MORE germs than a toilet?! If I have to hand wash something, I will completely disinfect the sink first. But I just don’t have the time to wash everything by hand!
I really like this recipe! I just would try to find something to substitute the lemon – maybe some lavender drops? Lemon is a no no for flatware. It will leave rust spots.
I’ve never heard of putting vinegar in the rinse part. I’ll definitely have to try that. I LOVE vinegar for cleaning!!
Thanks for sharing!

Hello! We definitely do a lot dishes by hand. Those kids of mines would be so excited if I told them that I was taking the dishwashing off the chore list. LOL. Thanks for the info on the sink. Definitely try using the vinegar, if only to give it a one-time try. Have a wonderful evening!

I love this idea! I am all about saving money by making homemade products. I currently use store-bought tablets for my dishwasher, which we run 4-5 times per week. The tabs are fairly expensive even when purchased at Sam’s Club. Thanks for the tip!Connie @ Real Food Family Meals recently posted…It’s Here! It’s Here! Half-Price Cookbook Sale

I make pretty much the same mix except I leave out the vinegar. It makes a dry mix and I just use 2 Tablespoons per load with vinegar as a rinse agent. It cleans well without the vinegar rinse but my plastic wear and glasses are cloudy without. I’ve used two batches so far (using almost daily) and I love it! You can also use citric acid in place of the lemonade mix. I found mine at a beer brewing store.

Ahh, glad to see someone uses it as a powder, I was wondering how to do that. We have one of those smaller “dish drawer” types of dishwasher and a whole tablet of a commercial brand is too much. This will be perfect. Our water here is very hard and I have found the vinegar is not enough, so if anyone has an idea, I’ll give it a go.
Thanks for great tips and recipes.

Wow! Those glasses, what a difference. I have always wanted to know how well this recipe works, I have never seen anyones dishes after using the homemade stuff. Thanks for sharing that! Pinning this so I can try it!Angie Brewer (@snackcupsmiles) recently posted…We have what!?! – Thursday Truth Telling

I love this idea! Pinned to try since I hate spending so much money on dishwasher soap. Thanks for stopping by my blog! Now following you via Bloglovin 🙂Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads recently posted…Berry Blue Jello Slime Drink Recipe

Great idea Sharon! I buy dishwashing liquid from time to time and find some harsh on my skin. I use detergents often and some are also harsh. Thanks for sharing this information and have a wonderful weekend.Judy Haughton-James recently posted…Question Time

Hi Rosey! I liked making the detergent. My girls are always intrigued in what I’m going to by trying out on my blog. My youngest child loved helping me to make this. Still testing it to see how much I love it….

Hi Patty! I’ve only used it twice now and am still liking it. We mostly wash by hands and put our dishes in the dishwasher to dry. The only reason I run the dishwasher is to drain the water out and wash a load at the same time.

Thanks for posting this! I just KNEW there was a good recipe for dishwasher detergent and yours is well detailed and informative. I will be making this today! I have borax left over from making laundry soap so it won’t cost me anything, including the gas for a trip to the store.Ann recently posted…Spring Wreath from a Bath Scrubbie

Wow! This is great! I love this idea! Never thought about using ice cube tray’s. These are also really great pictures!
Thanks for linking up with us this week at Linkin with my ladies!
Have a great weekend Sharon!
Katie~Dysfunction JunctionKatie recently posted…Linkin with my ladies Thursday Hop #10

This is one I might try – who knew?!
Also, I have never heard about the vinegar – do you put it where you would put Jet Dry? I’m gonna try it!
We washed and dried (by we I mean my sister and I not my brothers) after every meal.
Now I use my dishwasher all the time!!Kim recently posted…Crock Pot Taco Soup

Hi Kim. Yes, I put it in the Jet Dry container. I do know some people that just pour a little in the bottom of their dishwasher. P.S. My sisters and I were the dishwashers in the house. The boys were younger and I can’t remember them doing any chores until they became old enough to mow the lawn.

[…] I just used unsweetened lemonade packets because I had that on hand at home. Love that smell! Click here to see the original article – complete with instructions and pictures. Listed below are the […]